Paul McCartney postpones tour in Asia due to illness

Paul McCartney postpones tour in Asia due to illness

(CNN) — Paul McCartney fans in Japan are going to have to wait a little longer to get “Out There.”

The former Beatle, currently on his “Out There” tour in Asia, was forced to postpone two shows at the Tokyo National Stadium due to an undisclosed illness. The cancellations are a rare occurrence for the McCartney, who has proven an iron man while maintaining a global tour schedule over the past several years. He’ll turn 72 in June.

“Doctors have ordered Paul complete rest and he has been doing all he can to get better,” read a statement on McCartney’s official website posted Sunday. “Paul has only ever had to reschedule a handful of shows in his entire career and is so upset about this situation, he hates to let people down.”

McCartney wanted to perform against doctor’s orders, the statement continued, “but his team, along with the doctors, wouldn’t allow it.”

McCartney plans to reschedule the shows, which were originally planned for May 18-19. Shows scheduled for May 21, at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan, and May 24, at Osaka’s Yanmar Stadium Nagai, have also been postponed.

“Thank you so much for your kind messages of support,” McCartney wrote. “I’m so very touched. Unfortunately my condition has not improved overnight. I was really hoping that I’d be feeling better today. I’m so disappointed and sorry to be letting my fans down.”

McCartney is currently performing in support of his album “New,” which was released in October. His tour is scheduled to continue in Seoul, South Korea, on May 28, before coming to the United States on June 14.